91
and has proved that the average voyage to Mel-
bourne by the former line has been 70% days, and
by the Cape of Good Hope 81 days, vide "Mel-
bourne Argus," July the 21st, 1854.

On the above statement, the Directors beg leave,
to observe that the "Melbourne Argus" refers to
the length of voyages to Melbourne alone, there-
fore two or three days, inclusive of detentions,
must be added as the duration of the voyage be-
tween England and Sydney, making 73 days as
the voyage via the Overland Mail route, and 84
days by that of the Cape of Good Hope; more-
over, these dates do not even include the delivery
of the bulk of the mails and passengers at South-
ampton, in the case of the overland route, but
merely the lighter mails via Marseilles available
only for the most wealthy; the final arrival at
Southampton-adding, in fact, an additional three
days to the actual length of the voyage, and
making the delivery of letters and passengers
at Southampton via the Isthmus of Suez-76
days from Sydney, and 73 days from Melbourne.

Having thus drawn attention to the leading
features of the above-mentioned routes and their
admitted failures, we propose in this letter to
give a brief outline of the project of this Com-
pany, referring for more detailed information to
the prospectus, issued to the public in 1853, and
to a letter addressed to Her Majesty's Postmaster-
General by the Secretary of this Company in
March last, copies of which are herewith for-
warded, wherein the comparative merits of the
various routes have been fully analized, accom-
panied by an elaborate explanatory Chart.

The line selected by this Company is called "The
Australian Direct," for it will be seen by an inspec-
tion of the Chart that the geographical positions of
the Stations of the Company are in one undeviating
line, cutting the tropics diagonally, which will
enable their steam vessels to turn to the most
favourable account the steady trade winds. The
seas through these latitudes are smooth, and the
winds moderate; the detentions upon the passage
are only at great central positions on the direct
route, the Isthmus of Panama forming the point
to which lines of the greatest commercial pros-
perity converge.

It will be seen, therefore, that although the
Australian Colonies are the important terminus
of this Company, and have consequently given
rise to its name; yet the Directors anticipate
that the Company will derive a large portion,
if not one half, of its traffic from the great sub-
sidiary lines which have long been established,
and for which the Isthmus of Panama has been
selected as the great centre. The advantages of
this route will be obvious, as the Colonies will be
brought into immediate and rapid communication
not merely with the Mother Country, but with
Peru and Chili, California, the West Indies, the
United States, and the Canadas. The value of
such a communication with these countries of
Europe will be apparent also, on inspection of the
Chart, for the gain in time, for the conveyance of
valuable goods over the Isthmus of Panama, to
Mexico and California to the North, and to Peru
and Chili to the South, will be equal to a saving
in the entire time taken to circumnavigate the
Continent of South America; a saving equal to
two-thirds, or even three-fourths, of the average
voyages of the fastest sailing clippers round Cape
Horn; a relative gain in time considerably
more than can be effected to Australia alone. It
is from a combination of such recources flowing
into this simple Main Trunk Line, together with
the conveyance of the mails and specie and valu-
able merchandize, that the Directors anticipate
an amply remunerative traffic which will guaran-tee, when once fairly in operation, a permanent,
line of communication that will not only fully
satisfy the requirements of the Colonies, but will
greatly tend to uphold the maritime position of
Great Britain in the Pacific Ocean.

Having trespassed at such length upon your
attention, we may be expected to suggest in what
manner we consider the Colonial Department
might assist in the promotion of the objects this
Company have in view. We beg, therefore, to
state that experience has taught us that the pub-
lic will be more readily disposed to take up the
remaining portion of the capital necessary to
enable the Company to commence operations,
could we assure them of our having made a satis-
factory arrangement with Her Majesty's Govern-
ment for the conveyance of the mails; and we
have just reason to believe, should our views
meet with the support of the Colonial Depart-
ment, that the eventual establishment of so effi-
cient a semi-monthly line as we propose to or-
ganize over this route, will not only fully remove
all grounds for dissatisfaction, now so generally
expressed, but will materially tend to develope
the vast resources of trade abounding on this
line, and bind, by ties of interest and good feel-
ing, the Mother Country and the Australian Co-
lonies.

We have, &c.,
(Signed) J. C. MORRIS,
Chairman,
And on behalf of the Board of Directors.

The Right Honorable
Sir George Grey,
&c., &c., &c.

Downing-street,
5th December, 1854.

SIR,-I am directed by Secretary Sir George
Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 7th ultimo, bringing under his considera-
tion the present state of the arrangements for the
conveyance of the mails between this country and
Australia, and the expediency of establishing
more efficient arrangements, for the performance
of that service; and I am to acquaint you in re-
ply, that Sir George Grey is in communication
on the subject with the Postmaster-General, to
whom a copy of your letter has been referred.

I have, &c.,
(Signed) F. PEEL.

The Secretary to the Associa-
tion for promoting Postal
Steam Communication with
Australia.

71, Cornhill,
21st Nov., 1854.

SIR,-Having just returned from the Austra-
lian Colonies, where I have been engaged in some
large financial transactions, I have been requested
by some influential parties resident there, to en-
deavour on my arrival here to promote the es-
tablishment of a permanent and speedy postal
communication between the Colonies and the
Mother Country.

With this view, I put myself in communication
with the Australian Postal Association here, and
laid before their Committee my proposed plan,
which met with their decided approval, and,
through the medium of the said Association, it
has been forwarded to the Postmaster-General,
who also honored me with an interview, when he
stated to me that, although he thought my plan a
very feasible one, still he could not entertain it
unless it came direct officially from the respective
Governments in Australia.

From my experience in the Colonies, I am con.